The Commerce City Council may declare war on squirrels and other animal pests Monday night.

Among the items on a relatively short agenda for the 6:30 meeting in the Commerce Room of the Commerce Civic Center is action on a proposed ordinance under which city residents could buy a "animal pests."

If enacted - and no one expressed any opposition at the council's work session last Monday night - residents could apply to the police department for a $20 permit to shoot “animal pests” with firearms inside the city limits. The ordinance was drafted with squirrels in mind, as the rodents have become a nuisance in many parts of town. Presumably it could apply to other marauding animals as well.

The fee would cover the cost of fingerprint and background checks.

The ordinance was proposed by Ward 5 Councilman Richard Massey, who is recovering from a stroke.

If you have seen a Web site that depicts animal abuse, click here to learn about actions you can take.

This form is for reporting cruelty to animals. The information is immediately forwarded to the appropriate department. Please provide detailed information regarding any animals who are in need of assistance, including their location. Please also provide your contact information, including your e-mail address, as this will allow us to respond more quickly. Your anonymity is completely guaranteed.

You've GOT to be kidding!!! Is Councilman Massey NUTS?? (Squirrel food) Does he have a fully functional BRAIN?? That's all we need...a bunch of Kudzu Commando's running around with everything from BB guns to deer rifles shooting around our houses, streets, and CHILDREN!!! I am by no means an animal rights activist nor am I the kind of person who believes in gun control that would violate our rights to keep and bear arms. I just think there is a better way...perhaps humane traps?? A little more costly but a lot more safe. Maybe Massey should look at Georgia Criminal Code 16-5-20. It reads like this:
"(b) A person who causes bodily harm to or endangers the bodily safety of another person by consciously disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk that his act or omission will cause harm or endanger the safety of the other person and the disregard constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care which a reasonable person would exercise in the situation is guilty of a misdemeanor." In other words Councilman Massey, there are a variety of charges that could be made if a person is injured or worse yet - killed, because of an ordinance that violates Georgia State Law. I don't know of any ordinance that supersedes our State Law. I for one would not want to deal with the consequences if I hurt another human being over a squirrel.

I don't think this is a good idea. There are better and safer ways to deal with rodents and pests, especially in the city limits where homes are close to each other. Does animal control have any jurisdiction? Perhaps there are professional listings for people who can capture these animals in a humane manner? I don't think pulling out the gun is the answer here.

When these oversized rats chew through the wiring in your house and it catches on fire, send the PETA folks a bill and see if they will rebuild it for you. These varmints have already cost me an arm and a leg rewiring areas where they got into my attic and chewed up everything from telephone and electrical wiring down to my insulation. They nearly burned my house down. At least one of the little suckers got a nice, hefty shock and is now taking a dirt nap. I say snipe em if you see em. I got a pellet with squirrel written all over it (It's written in very, very tiny letters, OK?).

Being a hunter myself and a house owner in the city limits I see them as a nuisiance at times. But if you shoot one most likely you are going to be shooting up into the trees (which means if you miss and most people will), then if the bullet goes up then it is coming back down somewhere. I can just imagine young boys running through the neighborhood with B-B guns and 22 rifles shooting everywhere. I don't want to have to worry if my 10 yr. old son or myself are outside, if we are going to get hit by stray bullets. Just set traps and capture them and move them somewhere else. I have more trouble with deer eating my expensive shrubs I plant than squirrels, so does that mean I can take my deer rifle and blow them away too? Those bullets only travel about a mile. This is not a smart move at all. Protect our children don't put them in more danger.

Maybe you should read the information about limitations on firearms and individuals in the ordinance. Do you really think Chief Gaissert is going to allow you to use a bullet with a range of a mile? Do you have any clue as to the range of rat shot or a .410? Do you think the PC ia going to issue permits to kids? You must not know anything about the chief.

Anyone who acts as you describe is currently subject to arrest and will continue to be subject to arrest under this ordinance. While I'm not wild about it, I don't see the passage of this ordinance as a cause to outfit the family in Kevlar or hunker down in the basement.

Is there some requirement that people who respond to these articles be prone to hysteria? It sounds like some counseling is in order.

No, please do tell me the range of a rat shot and .410 shot gun. Is it longer than the 10 feet from the window and my neighbors property line? I just want to know when I should put on the orange vest. We'll see who foots the bill for counseling after the first accident.

"BAD IDEA" I live in the city limits and my young grandchildren play in the yard. A stray bullet could hit anyone.. then who's at fault? Who would have legal action brought against them?
The City, or the person pulling the trigger, which you may never know who that person was. Once again "BAD IDEA"

Add Comment

Name

Email

Homepage

In reply to

Comment

Phone*

What is three plus seven?

E-Mail addresses will not be displayed and will only be used for E-Mail notifications.

To prevent automated Bots from commentspamming, please enter the string you see in the image below in the appropriate input box. Your comment will only be submitted if the strings match. Please ensure that your browser supports and accepts cookies, or your comment cannot be verified correctly.Enter the string from the spam-prevention image above:

Remember Information? Subscribe to this entry

Submitted comments will be subject to moderation before being displayed.